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World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) today reported financial
results for its quarter and six months ended September 30, 2017.

Gross loans increased to $1.15 billion as of September 30, 2017, a 4.8%
increase from the $1.10 billion of loans outstanding as of September 30,
2016. Gross loans in the US increased 3.2%. Gross loans in the US
benefited from the acquisition of $8.5 million in gross loans during the
quarter. Gross loans in Mexico increased 19.5% in US dollars. However,
gross loans in Mexico increased only 11.9% in Mexican pesos. Our unique
borrowers in the US increased by 36,751, or 4.9% during the second
quarter of fiscal 2018. This is compared to an increase of 20,614, or
2.8%, in the second quarter of fiscal 2017 and an increase of 11,081, or
1.4%, in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.

Net income for the second quarter decreased 36.7% to $9.8 million
compared to $15.5 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Net
income per diluted share decreased 37.4% to $1.10 in the second quarter
of fiscal 2018 compared to $1.76 in the prior year quarter.

Total revenues increased to $131.0 million for the second quarter of
fiscal 2018, a 1.3% increase from the $129.3 million reported for the
second quarter last year. Revenues from the 1,286 offices open
throughout both quarterly periods increased by 0.8%. Interest and fee
income increased 1.2% from $117.0 million to $118.4 million in the
second quarter of fiscal 2018 primarily due to an increase in average
earning loans. Insurance and other income increased by 2.6% to $12.6
million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 compared with $12.3 million
in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.

Accounts in the US that were 61 days or more past due increased to 5.7%
on a recency basis and to 7.4% on a contractual basis at September 30,
2017, compared to 5.3% and 7.0%, respectively, at September 30, 2016. On
a consolidated basis, accounts that were 61 days or more past due
increased to 6.5% on a recency basis and to 8.4% on a contractual basis
at September 30, 2017, compared to 5.5% and 7.7%, respectively, at
September 30, 2016. As a result of the higher delinquencies, our
allowance to net loans increased from 9.7% at September 30, 2016 to
10.5% at September 30, 2017.

As previously disclosed, the Company ceased all in-person collection
visits at the end of fiscal 2016. Following the change in practice, we
experienced an increase in delinquencies and charge-offs. We have seen
an improvement in net charge-offs during the first and second quarters
of fiscal 2018 compared to 2017 and charge-offs. Consolidated net
charge-offs as a percentage of average net loans on an annualized basis
decreased from 15.6% to 14.0% when comparing the two quarters. However,
the consolidated provision for the quarter increased $3.1 million when
comparing the second quarter of fiscal 2018 to the second quarter of
fiscal 2017. This is primarily due to an increase in net charge-offs and
delinquent accounts in Mexico. Consolidated net charge-offs were down
$2.4 million when comparing the two quarters. The portion of the
provision related to an increase in loans outstanding, which increased
$1.2 million quarter over quarter due to gross loans outstanding
increasing $37.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 versus
$8.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. The US provision
decreased $1.6 million when comparing the second quarter of fiscal 2018
to the second quarter of fiscal 2017. This is due to a decrease in net
charge-offs of $4.5 million. The portion of the US provision related to
an increase in loans outstanding increased $1.6 million quarter over
quarter. There was also a $1.3 million increase in the US provision due
to a larger increase in accounts that became 90 days past due in the
second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017.

General and administrative ("G&A") expenses amounted to $70.9 million in
the second quarter of fiscal 2018, a 11.7% increase over the $63.5
million in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. As a percentage of
revenues, G&A expenses increased from 49.1% during the second quarter of
fiscal 2017 to 54.1% during the current quarter. G&A expenses per
average open office increased by 11.3% when comparing the two quarters.
G&A expense increased due to increased advertising expense, personnel
costs, and legal and professional expense.

Personnel expense increased $3.8 million quarter over quarter. Personnel
expense in the US increased $1.8 million. Personnel expense in the US
increased primarily due to an increase in part-time employees hired to
enable our branch offices to extend their hours without significant
overtime or hiring additional full time employees as well as expense
associated with equity awards granted during October 2016.

Advertising expense increased 30.3%, or $1.2 million, due to an increase
in our direct marketing program relative to the same quarter last year.

Legal and professional expense increased $1.9 million primarily due to
additional expense related to the previously disclosed investigation
related to our operations in Mexico. We incurred $1.3 million in expense
directly related to the investigation during the quarter. See "Other
Matters" below for additional information regarding the investigation.

Interest expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, decreased by
$700,000, or 13.2%, from the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
The decrease in interest expense is due to a 14.0% decrease in the
average debt outstanding, from $365.0 million to $313.8 million for the
quarters ended September 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Company's
debt to equity ratio decreased from 0.9:1 at September 30, 2016, to
0.7:1 at September 30, 2017.

The Company's second quarter effective income tax rate increased to
40.0% compared with 36.6% in the prior year's second quarter.

Other key return ratios for the second quarter included a 7.6% return on
average assets and a return on average equity of 14.3% (both on a
trailing 12-month basis).

At September 30, 2017, we had approximately 162,000 accounts and
approximately $123.7 million in gross loans outstanding in Mexico. There
were $103.5 million in gross loans as of September 30, 2016. Annualized
net charge-offs for Mexico as a percentage of average net loans
increased from 11.1% for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 to 19.9% for
the current fiscal quarter. Additionally, our Mexican 61+ day
delinquencies were 13.2% and 17.3% on a recency and contractual basis,
respectively, as of September 30, 2017, a change from 7.4% and 13.6%,
respectively, as of September 30, 2016.

Six-Month Results

For the first six-months of the fiscal year, net income decreased 28.8%
to $22.9 million compared with $32.1 million for the six-months ended
September 30, 2016. Fully diluted net income per share decreased 29.4%
to $2.58 in the first six months of fiscal 2018 compared with $3.65 for
the first six-months of fiscal 2017. Year to date net income for Mexico
decreased $5.8 million from $3.1 for the six months ended September 30,
2016, to a loss of $2.7 million for the six months ended September 30,
2017.

Total revenues for the first six-months of fiscal 2018 increased 1.4% to
$259.9 million compared with $256.3 million during the corresponding
period of the previous year. Annualized net charge-offs as a percent of
average net loans decreased from 15.3% during the first six-months of
fiscal 2017 to 13.9% for the first six-months of fiscal 2018.

Other Matters

As previously disclosed, we are conducting an investigation of our
operations in Mexico, focusing on the legality under the U.S. Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act and certain local laws of certain payments related
to loans, the maintenance of the Company's books and records associated
with such payments, and the treatment of compensation matters for
certain employees. We promptly retained outside legal counsel and
forensic accountants to lead the investigation upon receipt of an
anonymous letter regarding compliance matters, and we have voluntarily
contacted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the
U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") to advise both agencies that an
investigation is underway. We are committed to compliance with
applicable laws and regulations, intend to cooperate fully with both the
SEC and the DOJ, and are developing and executing a remediation plan to
ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and to remediate
the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

As previously disclosed, on August 7, 2015, the Company received a
letter from the CFPB's Enforcement Office notifying the Company that, in
accordance with the CFPB's discretionary Notice and Opportunity to
Respond and Advise ("NORA") process, the staff of CFPB's Enforcement
Office is considering recommending that the CFPB take legal action
against the Company (the "NORA Letter"). The NORA Letter states that the
staff of the CFPB's Enforcement Office expects to allege that the
Company violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, 12
U.S.C. §5536. The NORA Letter confirms that the Company has the
opportunity to make a NORA submission, which is a written statement
setting forth any reasons of law or policy why the Company believes the
CFPB should not take legal action against it. Following the CFPB's NORA
Letter, the Company made NORA submissions to the CFPB's Enforcement
Office. The Company understands that a NORA Letter is intended to ensure
that potential subjects of enforcement actions have the opportunity to
present their positions to the CFPB before an enforcement action is
recommended or commenced. While the Company believes its marketing and
lending practices are lawful, there can be no assurance that the CFPB's
ongoing investigation or future exercise of its enforcement, regulatory,
discretionary or other powers will not result in findings or alleged
violations of federal consumer financial protection laws.

About World Acceptance Corporation

World Acceptance Corporation is one of the largest small-loan consumer
finance companies, operating 1,331 offices in 15 states and Mexico.

Second Quarter Conference Call

The senior management of World Acceptance Corporation will be discussing
these results in its quarterly conference call to be held at 10:00 a.m.
Eastern time today. A simulcast of the conference call will be available
on the Internet at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1118/23111.
The call will be available for replay on the Internet for approximately
30 days.

This press release may contain various "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, that represent the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning
future events. Statements other than those of historical fact, as well
as those identified by the words "anticipate," "estimate," "intend,"
"plan," "expect," "project," "believe," "may," "will," "should,"
"would," "could" and any variation of the foregoing and similar
expressions are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are about matters that are inherently subject to risks and
uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results or performance to
differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such
forward-looking statements include the following: recently enacted,
proposed or future legislation and the manner in which it is
implemented; the nature and scope of regulatory authority, particularly
discretionary authority, that may be exercised by regulators, including,
but not limited to, the SEC, DOJ, or the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau (the "CFPB"), having jurisdiction over the Company; the
unpredictable nature of regulatory proceedings and litigation; any
determinations, findings, claims or actions made or taken by the SEC,
DOJ, CFPB, or other regulators or third parties in connection with or
resulting from the previously disclosed investigation of our operations
in Mexico or the civil investigative demand or the NORA Letter from the
CFPB that assert or establish that the Company's lending practices or
other aspects of its business violate applicable laws or regulations;
the impact of changes in accounting rules and regulations, or their
interpretation or application, which could materially and adversely
affect the Company's reported financial statements or necessitate
material delays or changes in the issuance of the Company's audited
financial statements; the Company's assessment of its internal control
over financial reporting, and the timing and effectiveness of the
Company's efforts to remediate any reported material weakness in its
internal control over financial reporting; changes in interest rates;
risks related to expansion and foreign operations; risks inherent in
making loans, including repayment risks and value of collateral; the
timing and amount of revenues that may be recognized by the Company;
changes in current revenue and expense trends (including trends
affecting delinquencies and charge-offs); the potential impact of
limitations in the Company's amended revolving credit facility; and
changes in the Company's markets and general changes in the economy
(particularly in the markets served by the Company). These and other
factors are discussed in greater detail in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk
Factors" in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended March 31, 2017 filed with the SEC and the Company's
other reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC from time to time.
World Acceptance Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update
any forward-looking statements it makes. The Company is also not
responsible for updating the information contained in this press release
beyond the publication date, or for changes made to this document by
wire services or Internet services.